Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Pumpkin Sweet Rolls slathered with caramel frosting will make the start of any morning a little better. These rolls would make the perfect start on Thanksgiving Day, any day in the fall, or year-round.

These pumpkin rolls are a sweet treat with pumpkin added to the dough of the rolls. Sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are mixed together for the filling. Then they are topped with an easy-to-make caramel frosting.

These soft tender rolls will be a hit with your family. Make it a tradition to make these rolls for the holiday breakfast or any morning. They are a little time-consuming just as with any sweet roll, but they are well worth the work.

This recipe makes a big batch, so what I like to do after I have frosted them, is to freeze a bunch of them. That way I can pull them out as needed.

Helpful Tips

• Use pumpkin puree for this recipe. Do not use pumpkin pie mix.
• Make sure that your yeast is fresh. Using old yeast may not let the dough rise.
• If the temperature in your kitchen is cool, add warm water to your kitchen sink and set the bowl in the sink to help raise the dough.
• Don’t add too much flour. The dough should be slightly sticky. Adding too much flour will result in dry rolls.
• Use sharp scissors to cut the dough into rolls. This is one of the easiest and fastest ways that I have learned.
• These sweet rolls freeze well. Once the rolls are cooled and frosted, put them in an airtight container. They can be kept frozen for 2 to 3 months.
• To thaw frozen sweet rolls, place them in the container until completely thawed. For a fast thaw, microwave them on defrost mode until they are thawed.

Ingredients that you will need to make these pumpkin sweet rolls with caramel frosting

Rolls

• Flour
• Sugar
• Yeast
• Salt
• Butter
• Pumpkin Puree
• Eggs

Filling

• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Butter

Frosting

• Brown Sugar
• Cream
• Butter
• Powdered Sugar

Steps for making this recipe

Steps one and two

Flour, sugar, salt, and yeast are added to a large mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined.

Steps three and four

The milk is heated to 120 to 130 degrees F. The butter is added to the heated milk. The milk and butter mixture is added to the flour mixture.

Steps five, six, seven

After the milk and butter are mixed in, add the pumpkin puree and mix in. Mix in two large eggs. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that is slightly sticky to the touch.

Steps eight and nine

Grease the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough over to grease both sides. Cover with a light towel and let the dough rise until double in size.

Steps ten and eleven

Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to a small bowl. Mix until well combined.

Steps twelve, thirteen, and fourteen

Take half of the dough and pat the dough out with your hands to make a 12-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Take half the butter for the filling and spread over top of the rectangle of dough. Sprinkle half of the sugar and spice mixture over top of the butter that has been spread over top of the dough. Repeat the steps for the other half of the dough.

Steps fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen

Roll the dough starting with the shorter side. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Bake the rolls in a preheated 375 F degree oven for about 15 to 18 minutes.

Steps eighteen and nineteen

For the frosting place the cream, butter, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Steps twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two

Add the powdered sugar to the brown sugar mixture. Beat until smooth. Frost the cooled sweet rolls.

More sweet breakfast recipes you will enjoy

• Skillet Pumpkin Monkey Bread
• Apple Streusel Muffins
• Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
• Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake

If you make these pumpkin sweet rolls I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.

Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Pumpkin sweet rolls slathered with caramel frosting will make the start of any morning a little better. These rolls would make the perfect start on Thanksgiving Day, any day in the fall, or year-round.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin sweet rolls, Pumpkin rolls

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 rolls

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Dawn Yucuis

Ingredients

• 5 3/4 to 6 cups flour
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs

Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 cup butter softened

Frosting

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cups cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 to 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• In a large bowl add 2 cups flour, yeast, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt; mix well.
• Heat milk to warm (120 to 130 degrees F) add the butter. Add the milk and butter to the flour mixture and stir in.
• Add the pumpkin stir in with a wooden spoon
• Add the eggs and mix in.
• Gradually add the flour until you have a soft dough that is slightly sticky to the touch. Mix the flour into the dough by hand. Continue to knead dough until you have a dough that is smooth and slightly sticky.
• Grease the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough to coat both sides. Cover and let rise for about an hour or double in size.
• Filling- while the dough is rising mix together the 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and set aside.
• Once the dough is doubled in size, divide the dough into two equal parts.
• Pat the dough out into a 12 by 10-inch rectangle.
• Spread half of the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the half of the sugar and spices over the dough. Roll up the dough starting with the shorter side. Pinch edge to seal.
• Using scissors cut into 12 rolls. Place the rolls on a greased baking pan. Two 9 by 13-inch pan works well for the 24 rolls.
• Repeat with the second part of dough.
• Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Frosting

• To a medium saucepan add the brown sugar, cream, and butter. Over medium heat bring to a boil; stirring constantly.
• Boil for a minute and remove from heat.
• Cool for a minute or two and add the powdered sugar to make the right consistency to spread. Beat frosting with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• Frost the pumpkin sweet rolls and serve.

Notes

1. Use pumpkin puree for this recipe and not pumpkin pie mix.
2. Make sure that your yeast is fresh.
3. Do not add too much flour. Your dough should be slightly sticky when you are done kneading it. Too much flour can result in dry sweet rolls. 
4. An easy way to cut the rolls is by using scissors. The scissors work perfectly for this.
5. Baked sweet rolls can be frozen in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months. 

 

 

 

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with the brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.4g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 29.7g | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

This recipe was originally published on October 24, 2016. It has been updated with new content and pictures on November 14, 2024.